From Japan, with Love: Young Falcons Study

Entry #001:

2021 July 17

I first began traveling the Japanese countryside in search of the best rice this earth has to offer. What are the flavors and textures that I yearn for? What are the experiences that speak most delicious to me? And in traveling and taste testing one after the other, I realized two things.

The first is that what I find to be “the best” changes across the seasons. Just like I only crave cold sōmen noodles mid-summer, with its aromatic accoutrement like shiso leaves and myoga, and only joyfully anticipate rich udon noodles braised in the hottest donabé with earthy veg and game mid-winter, I seek rice varietals that pair appropriately with seasonal ingredients and cooking methods. 

The second is that whether the varietal or region may be the same, the finished piece, the rice in your bowl, varies dramatically based on the people who brought it to being. And while there are many parties in between, the two people whose vibes are most prevalent is the farmer and the person who does the final cooking. We eat their energy. The vibrations that run through their whole being. The most delicious and powerful secret ingredient I know. 

♡ momoko

Microseasonal Stars

July 17 - 21

Summer > Heat Wave > Young Falcons Study

Are you remaining ever curious? What’s one new thing you learned today? Who feeds you?